"While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, the books have remained available. This happens only thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, students, and community members who stand up and speak out for the freedom to read." - American Library Association
#1 | George
By Alex Gino
Published in 2015
Available formats: Book, eAudiobook, Audiobook on CD, eAudiobook, eBook
Challenged, banned, restricted, and hidden to avoid controversy; for LGBTQIA+ content and a transgender character; because schools and libraries should not “put books in a child’s hand that require discussion”; for sexual references; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint and “traditional family structure”
#2 | Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out
By Susan Kuklin
Published in 2014
Available formats: Book
Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, for “its effect on any young people who would read it,” and for concerns that it was sexually explicit and biased.
#3 | A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
By Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
Published in 2018
Available formats: Book
Challenged and vandalized for LGBTQIA+ content and political viewpoints, for concerns that it is “designed to pollute the morals of its readers,” and for not including a content warning.
#4 | Sex is a Funny Word
By Cory Silverberg, illustrated by Fiona Smyth
Published in 2015
Available formats: Book
Challenged, banned, and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content; for discussing gender identity and sex education; and for concerns that the title and illustrations were “inappropriate.”
#5 | Prince & Knight
By Daniel Haack, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
Published in 2018
Available formats: Book
Challenged and restricted for featuring a gay marriage and LGBTQIA+ content; for being “a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate young children” with the potential to cause confusion, curiosity, and gender dysphoria; and for conflicting with a religious viewpoint.
#6 | I Am Jazz
By Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
Published in 2014
Available formats: Book
Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content, for a transgender character, and for confronting a topic that is “sensitive, controversial, and politically charged.”
#7 | The Handmaid’s Tale
By Margaret Atwood
Published in 1986
Available formats: Book, eAudiobook, Audiobook on CD, eAudiobook, eBook
Banned and challenged for profanity and for “vulgarity and sexual overtones.”
#8 | Drama
Written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Published in 2012
Available formats: Book and eBook
Challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and for concerns that it goes against “family values/morals.”
#9 | Harry Potter series
By J. K. Rowling
Published in 1997
Available formats: Book, eAudiobook, Audiobook on CD, Large Print, eBook
Banned and forbidden from discussion for referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use “nefarious means” to attain goals.
#10 | And Tango Makes Three
By Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole
Published in 2005
Available formats: Book
Challenged and relocated for LGBTQIA+ content.
The books featured during Banned Books Week have all been targeted for removal or restriction in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship. For a complete lists of banned or challenged books from 2019, click here.
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
